Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Quote:Holly Golightly: He's all right! Aren't you, cat? Poor cat! Poor slob! Poor slob without a name! The way I see it I haven't got the right to give him one. We don't belong to each other. We just took up one day by the river. I don't want to own anything until I find a place where me and things go together. I'm not sure where that is but I know what it is like. It's like Tiffany's.

Paul Varjak: Tiffany's? You mean the jewelry store.

Holly Golightly: That's right. I'm just CRAZY about Tiffany's!Unquote

Just like Holly Golightly (played by the mesmerizing Audrey Hepburn in the 1961 flick, ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’) was crazy about Tiffany’s, I am mad about food. Most people would agree with me when I say that. For the rest, all the food pictures in my album and the last few posts should suffice. This isn’t the Pad Thai post, so don’t get your heartbeats faster. It’s the next one, I promise.

This Sunday morning, August 24, I and my colleagues decided to check out the famed breakfast at Flury’s on Park Street, Kolkata. So we are up in the morning, and finally leave by around 10.30 am. Wondering if we‘ll get ‘The Breakfast’ post-11 am, we somehow manage to reach the place. Park Street is an experience in itself. The way the place changes it colors through a day is mind-boggling – Work Center during the day, roadside market and hangout place in the evenings followed by, of course, the amazing nightlife!

On the sleepy sunday, we alight at Flury’s. Most would find this hard to believe but this was the first time I entered the famous place in the umpteen years, though in bits and pieces, I have been in Kolkata. Typical of any Park Street eatery, the first thing that strikes you when you enter is the age of the place. The second thing is that the whole place is still functioning at that age. Flury’s does stand out as an elite place. I haven’t felt that at the other famous restaurants on Park Street. The third thing, of course, is the amazing smell in the place. You can’t blame your stomach if it starts growling as soon as you enter!

Flurys.

The restaurant has a smoking and a non-smoking section. We were seated in the non-smoking area, not that I mind. People-watching, you see an amalgamation of people here – the party crowd after a whole night out partying, the family out for a nice, healthy breakfast, the tourist who’s attracted by the fame of the place, the regulars who are here for their cup of tea. On one side of the restaurant is the brightly lit confectionery corner where you get all sorts of freshly baked breads, cakes, pastries and so on. The walls are decorated with sepia print photographs, the ceilings are old and endowed with colonial fans and chandeliers. You immediately feel relaxed and hungry.

Sepia.

Antique.

Calories.

We are given the menus and I am shocked to see the prices. This place is insanely expensive. Now, I have been a breakfast man. I may not have it very often but when I have the time, I thoroughly enjoy the meal. So it may not come as a surprise that I have had breakfast at a number of places. Be it the vast spread at the breakfast buffet in Residency Towers, Chennai (INR 175) or the innumerous English breakfast joints in Goa (INR 100-150). Trust me! I know my breakfast and I hate to admit that this was the most expensive breakfast I have had. Just to give you an idea, an omelet costs INR 180, a milk shake INR 120 and an all day breakfast INR 310!! Rub your eyes and read the previous sentence again. Anyways, let’s leave this out of the discussion and continue with the breakfast.

We order two all day breakfasts, a masala omelet and a milk shake. The service is not the very best. But then, there’s no reason why anyone would want to hurry through a Sunday morning breakfast. This is an experience to be enjoyed. There are large windows which overlook the main street. You see the hustle bustle outside while listening to Amy Winehouse in the background and chatting with your friends. The waiter arrives with the orange juice and the milk shake.

Juiced.

The orange juice is thick and fresh – not canned but fresh. My friend says the milkshake’s yummy too. Now, I am hungry – enough of the experience BS to convince myself. I think the waiter heard my tummy roar because he arrives with the breakfast and the omlette.

Let’s get down to business. The breakfast includes an orange juice, a fried egg, three sausages, a hash brown, bacon, tomato, brown/white bread and a choice of tea or coffee.

Wholesome.

The fried egg was well done – nothing fantastic about it but not messed up either. The hash brown was unhealthily tasty but then, fried potato is something I can devour.

Breakfast.

The tomato was a tomato. The bacon was funny because the first piece I had was very soft and sumptuous but the other one was dry and I literally had to tear up pieces to have them. The least they could do was provide a sharp-toothed steak knife. The sausages were out of this world. No frozen crap but fresh out of a butchery. Very soft and tasted amazing.

Sausages.

I have a small piece of the omlette too.Omlette.

Although I do not want to mention how over priced the place is, I just have to when it comes to the omlette. I have had as good an omlette at Hi-Look near the IIT Madras main gate at 2 in the morning for 10 bucks.

Timeless.

Finishing off the breakfast with some nice tea the proper British style, we sit back and enjoy this beautiful Sunday morning. I am in a time machine, I am in the ‘30s. This is how life should be. This is how life is meant to be. To relax and not worry about a thing in the world. To not think about the daily mundane life. To lose yourself in a place which has lost itself in time.

Friday, August 22, 2008

The year 2008 will be etched in my memory forever. It has been a rollercoaster without seatbelts – downs and ups. But I ‘ll have to admit that the 5 days starting the 13th of August marked that uppermost crest; that exact spot where you cannot see anything in front of you and your turning stomach tells you for sure that the rollercoaster is not on the tracks anymore! Yea, now you know what I am talking about.

August 13, 2008“Should I? Shouldn’t I?” or “Should I just worry about THE exam tomorrow?” Lots of questions marked Day 1. I had been planning a month long trip to the Southeast Asia, backpacking to Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Philippines and the rest for a long time now. Not seeing it happening any time soon, I just bit the bait and decided that “I should”! And, that was the point of no-return. I booked a return flight to Bangkok for Friday morning. Oh yes! Wondering about the exam? Hold your horses, it happens the next day.

August 14, 2008The D-Day arrives. “What’s all the fuss about?” I say when I wake up at 11 in the morning. A couple of messages and missed calls waiting to wish me luck. No offence to my well-wishers but I like to be left alone before an exam. Except of course for my parents! I have a good brunch, shaved after eternity, wore a nice clean set of clothes, rechecked the passport and appointment printout and left for the center. First impression of the center: it’s shabby! Looking worse than a cyber café, the place has creaky chairs and a talkative examiner. Who cares? I sit there for 4 hours, taking my breaks, doing the things I was supposed to do. Voila! 770 of 800!!

I was ecstatic! Cloud number 9! On top of the world! Spellbound!

August 15, 2008Independence Day? Hell yeah!! Amidst chaos of lost debit cards and no foreign currency, I make it to the airport in time. Finally checked in and after facing some stupid questions by the immigration and customs guys, I finally board the flight. You would be surprised to see your co-passengers on a Bangkok flight. The language most spoken: Bhojpuri. The flight is half-filled with storeowners just going to smuggle stuff back in. Isn’t it obvious looking out for such people?! But after the Haywood case, I wouldn’t be surprised if it is not.I arrive in Bangkok! Visa on arrival and immigration formalities done, I am out of the airport. Thanks to Sam, I knew exactly where to land up and that was – no surprises – Sukumvit! I get a cab, admiring the nice roads and the beautiful skyline, and reach the chaotic place of all – Sukumvit.

The best thing about this place is that EVERYthing is at your arm’s reach. Whatever you want to do – party, eat, drink, girls, travel – it’s all here.I check into Suncity Hotel for a 1000 bahts a night. Nice clean room, though a tad bit small, will serve my purpose of needing a place to crash for the three nights I am going to be here. The first night, I go and check out the Sukumvit area. The nightlife is just unbelievable. The whole atmosphere is so electric. I completely lost track of time and hopped from one bar to another. Chatted up with a few girls here and there.

I got a much-needed thai massage. Wanting to be relaxed and rejuvenated for Saturday, I call it an early night and hit the bed.

PS: Wanting to try out the exotic food in Thailand, I somehow manage to have a deep-fried grasshopper and some sumptuous Phad Thai (Wait for images and recipe in the next post)

August 16, 2008Fresh and hungry! I wake up starving and cursing myself for not taking the [breakfast + room] combo. A quick shower later, I realize it’s time for shopping!! A phone call to a friend asking for shopping tips in Bangkok, I leave for MBK, one of the largest malls in Bangkok. I take the BTS from Nana station. One of the biggest plusses of staying in Sukumvit is that it’s very well connected using the BTS and the MRTS train lines. There are scores of cabs and ‘tuk-tuk’s also available if you don’t like the trains. A very helpful attendant at the change counter helped me out and I got off at Siam station. Just to give you an idea how huge MBK is, let me just tell you that it has entrances from two separate train stations!

And what a crazy time I had shopping – left, right and center! I did not even realize it was already evening by the time I came out of the center. Followed by a yummy burger combo at Dairy Queen (DQ) and the sight of a full rainbow, I checked out Siam Paragon mall and an Amazing Thailand Tourism promo show at the mall.

Later in the evening, I met up with some friends after a long time. Some nice family and friend time later, I am hungry for some nice Thai food again! A yummy dinner and another bar hopping later, I sleep off with plans for sightseeing the next day.

August 17, 2008My last day in Bangkok! I am a good boy today. I got up at 8am, have a nice full English breakfast (reminds me of Goa days) and get on the MTS again to ‘Saphan Taksin’. From the central pier, I hop onto one of the tourist boats on the ‘Chao Phraya’ river. The river ride is simply beautiful. Lots of colorful boats around (causing a lot of pollution too!) and a skyline to die for. I go snapping at the camera – Click Click!

After putting up with the tour guide’s pathetic jokes, I get off at ‘Memorial Bridge’ pier. Somehow I loved walking in Bangkok, I arrive at the Grand Palace. It’s so unlike any tourist place in India. The first thing that struck me was the cleanliness. There were touts, footpath salesmen, hordes of tourists but the place is sparkling clean. I am ecstatic and go berserk with my camera again. I will let the next few images speak for themselves.

I take the boat again to Banglumpoo and go walking again in search of Khao San road. I have never been lost like this. I don’t want to walk anymore! Circling twice around the whole area, I finally locate the road, wondering how I could have missed it out in the first place. This area is TOTALLY rocking. Lots of foreigners, restaurants, markets, tattoo parlours! It was literally love in first sight. (I would still stay in Sukumvit the next time though) Spent some good time here eating and drinking, it’s time to go back to the hotel. The boat ride and sky train ride again, I reach Sukumvit in around an hour’s time.

A quick nap is well-deserved and I am out again, my last night in Bangkok. Tonight, I check out the infamous Patpong area. The less said the better *wink* but this is a must-see if you are do visit Bangkok.

The next day, I am back in Kolkata and head to work with a heavy heart. The ‘Land of Smiles’ really left a deep imprint in my heart. I am sure going to be back again, SOON!

Moral of the story: The kid ALWAYS smiles at the end of a rollercoaster ride.